A Demon's Worth
by Mimiko
Summary: [AU] Inu-Yasha's on a quest for fame and riches. What better way to earn them than by becoming a great warrior? But is it really material things he wants, or is it something more? And who can help him find it? Duh. Revision Started!
1. Prologue: Would Be Thieves

_His hands clenched at his sides, and his mother sent him an apologetic glance over her shoulder. He knew that it didn't mean she didn't love him. It was her love for him that had started this in the first place. But oh how the human heart can be corrupted. _

_He watched tearfully, as they left him behind, and not once did they stop to look back at the small hanyou fighting back tears as his family left him alone in an abandoned hovel, to reclaim the riches and luxuries that they had known before he'd been born._

"I still think you're pushing this too far." an old man replied, testing the weight of a golden shakujou against his palm, while eying his companion wearily.

"Ah, you always think I'm going to far. I think it's perfect. What better way to prove my worth than to be of some use. You were always saying that, remember? To get off my ass and do something," was the response from the considerably younger male, who was currently digging through a basket, searching for something valuable.

"I didn't mean to get your ass killed," was the stiff response from the elderly man, who sent the boy's back a glare, before turning back to the unconscious man they were now pillaging.

"Those earrings look nice. I think you could get a few shells for these Milord." the man replied, seemingly forgetting his earlier frustrations with the boy.

"They'd get you no more than three at the most. Could you kindly let go of my ears, place down my staff, and stop rummaging through my food?"

They stopped at the sound of this new voice, coming from the man that shouldn't have woken up until three days into next week. He grabbed his staff and picked his basket up, before placing it on a rock, and turning back to the would be thieves.

"If you're interested, I've got plenty to trade, and you may have something I want, however I don't like being stolen from."

He folded his arms over his chest and looked very imposing as the wind blew dark strands of hair in his eyes and ruffled his robes. However, they weren't phased. Well, the old man was, but he was a known coward.

"Aren't you going to try and slap some sort of ofuda on me or something?"

"Why should I? You've got demon blood yes, but you're no demon." was the monk's response, which truly set the boy off.

"Hey, I'll have you know that I'm just as strong as any demon out there, and I could kick your ass without blinking."

The monk's hands went up in an almost comical defensive pose, and he waved the anger away.

"I merely meant that you did not intend on killing me. Any other demon would have slain me without a second thought, not snuck up behind me with a really hard rock." He rubbed the spot on his head where he'd been hit to emphasize the point, and gave a smile to the men in front of him.

"I fear we may have started off on the wrong foot. I am Miroku, a wandering monk of Buddha."

"I am Myouga, and this is Inu-Yasha." the old man said, bowing before the monk.

"So, tell me Myouga, what's a nobleman like you doing trying to rob a poor man such as myself."

Myouga choked on air, looking at the monk with a bewildered expression upon his face, his face reddening a bit before he could respond properly.

"How did you know that I was a nobleman?!"

Miroku's own expression changed to bemused, as he took in the man.

"Well, you weren't trying to hide it were you? That outfit just screams 'rich man'."

Inu-Yasha snorted, glad that the monk had not decided to comment on his own clothing, which was a fierce shade of red. He didn't feel like discussing the properties of hi-nezumi with a nosey monk.

"He was helping me, if you must know," Inu-Yasha stated, prepared to explain the hows and whys that a nobleman would be out trying to rob a monk for a hanyou beggar.

To his surprise, Miroku merely nodded. Nobleman helping out beggars was not completely unheard of. Too afraid to steal from their own lord's palaces, they'd prey on wanderers such as himself.

Any more conversation was cut short though, as the bushes ruffled, and a girl appeared in front of them.

She was younger than all of them, and she had black hair pulled back, and then up, in a very dignified manner that did not suit the sparkle in her eyes.

"Myouga," she said, "If Sesshomaru-sama catches you, he'll have your head."

Myouga scampered over to the girl, but Inu-Yasha merely smirked, "Princess, I'm sure you could talk my brother out of it if the opportunity were to arise."

She blushed at the insinuation, but held her head defiantly up in the air.

"If I don't hurry, the guards will come, and we'll be testing your faith in me quite soon."

The two of them disappeared into the bushes, and Miroku absorbed this new information.

"I fear I'm very confused."

Inu-Yasha shook his head and began walking back towards the city.

**A/N:**...I edited some things...ever go back over your old fics and desperately want to take them down? But since you can, you just try and hide some of the evidence that it sucked more than it did once you got done attacking it? Yeah. I may actually get around to finishing editing the story (and, now that I'm back into IY fandom, dammit, I might actually get around to finishing WRITING it...)

Also, this might bother some people - I spelled it Inu-Yasha when I first started watching and now I spell it Inuyasha. So it's Inuyasha in this chapter and not in the others, unless I get around to editing those as well. I probably won't though, since the formatting is SO IMPOSSIBLE now.


	2. Chapter One: Into the City

His left eyebrow twitched as he noticed the scent hadn't gone away. He stopped in his tracks, and turned to yell over his shoulder, only to find that the monk had caught up with him, and was now in front of him.  
  
"Why are you following me Miroku?" Inu-Yasha asked, irritation not bothering to make itself hidden in his voice.  
  
"I'm not following you," he responded, "I'm merely headed into town for the tourney."  
  
Inu-Yasha blinked, and then growled.  
  
"You think you can win that?" he asked, pointedly staring at the monk's rather lanky form.  
  
"I'm positive I could. The prize money would do me good even if I won third place, much less first, which I could attain easily."  
  
"I'm sure," Inu-Yasha remarked dryly, "but I fear there's something you didn't calculate into your little plan."  
  
"Oh," Miroku asked, "and what might that be?"  
  
Inu-Yasha's chest puffed out with pride, and in a typical egotistical male fashion, he let his fast smash against his chest, in a way that vaguely reminded Miroku of a primate.  
  
"I'll be in the contest!"  
  
"Ah, and will this alter my standings much then?"  
  
"It damn well should. I'm the best fighter around here," he responded proudly.  
  
Miroku grinned and said, "Well I've got a secret weapon or two up my sleeve. Not even one with youkai blood such as yourself could withstand it."  
  
Inu-Yasha's eyes rolled, and he didn't even bother to respond that he could easily withstand anything that he had to throw at him, but he could sense that this monk was very powerful. And...just in case...he didn't want to test it unless he absolutely needed to.  
  
"So," Miroku started, "why is it you wish to fight in the tourney?"  
  
Inu-Yasha snorted, "Whaddya think? To be famous and wealthy, just like every other idiot out there. Why are you fighting? A man of the lord should be out there spreading words of peace, not kicking ass."  
  
"Oh, but I do spread words of peace, just not when I'm broke. I need money to see a kisai to deal with a curse placed upon my family."  
  
Inu-Yasha nodded, and grinned when he saw the city view against the horizon. He estimated that in roughly a few hours they'd reach it.  
  
"The castle looks very lovely in the sunset." Miroku remarked against the sound of his shakoujou's bangles in the wind.  
  
"Hmph," Inu-Yasha said, "it looks like it does always. A headquarters for killing and prejudice."  
  
"They speak of three princesses in that castle. The first one refuses to be married, unless it's to a warrior. The second one's face has never been shown to the public. The day she was born, she was declared too beautiful for our mortal eyes to view. And the third one-"  
  
"-is a small rotten brat who likes cinnamon and is marrying a ruthless warrior who turns into a puppy whenever she says so."  
  
Miroku blinked at Inu-Yasha's interruption, making a mental note to question the hanyou's sanity when they reached the city.  
  
If they reached the city.   
  
"Inu-Yasha, it appears we have company."  
  
A small group of bandits, their numbers no greater than eight or ten had surrounded the pair as they'd been walking. The leader of them advanced on Inu-Yasha, while his henchman surrounded Miroku. He gave a toothless smile, and slapped a broken bottle against his palm threateningly.  
  
Inu-Yasha wasted no time in kicking some ass. His body lurched forward to the ringleader, and landed a punch square in his face, packing enough force to knock the burly man down and out cold.  
  
Seeing their leader so easily defeated, the rest of the lot dispersed quickly, all within the time that it took Miroku to blink.  
  
"Aw man! I was looking forward to a good fight too!" Inu-Yasha whined, poking the unconscious body with his foot.  
  
"You're the kinda guy that fights a lot just because you can, aren't you?" Miroku asked.  
  
"Hey, it's fun."  
  
Miroku merely shook his head. He got the feeling that trouble followed this guy around, and despite his usual practice of 'leave-it-alone-and-kick-its-ass-when-it-comes-near-me-', he couldn't help but think that hanging around might be fun. He decided not to let the sulking hanyou know this, because Miroku also got the impression he didn't take to having company too well.  
  
"Well, to each their own I guess," he finally answered.  
  
"Yeah well, it's MY own!" Inu-Yasha said.  
  
Miroku's eyebrow quirked, and he chuckled, "You're very socially inept Inu-Yasha."  
  
"Thanks! Is that a good thing?" Inu-Yasha asked, having no idea what the word inept meant.  
  
"Well, for you, I think it works." Miroku slapped his hand against Inu-Yasha's back and continued towards the city gates.  
  
"So, what were you saying earlier about the princesses?" Inu-Yasha asked.  
  
"Oh, well, I don't really know much about them. I'm not from around here, ya know? I just remember what people have told me. The "Covered Princess" is my favorite though. I want to see what she looks like. Like, is she really that pretty, or is she just so ugly that they don't want anyone to know about it? That would be a shame." Miroku shook his head and sighed dramatically.  
  
Inu-Yasha shrugged, "Well, I've only seen two of 'em. The middle one is supposedly really haughty. She's never left the castle walls. The youngest one is careless. You saw her earlier, remember?"  
  
"Oh yes, the girl you called Rin-hime? I thought you were joking. Why would a princess be out of the palace, unattended?"  
  
Inu-Yasha snorted, "She does it all the time. This time Myouga-jiji was sent out with her, but I'm sure castle guards weren't too far away. Their smell is always in the forest, but it did seem fresher. But, to the point, Rin isn't really known for her appreciation of the castle's rules, if you know what I mean."  
  
Miroku nodded, "A little rebel?"  
  
"Exactly," Inu-Yasha responded.  
  
"And the oldest one?"  
  
Inu-Yasha rolled his eyes, "She's a stuck up bitch. Thinks she's above even her father. Her mother isn't the queen of our land, but rather, she is the daughter of Kaede-sama, the first queen. She died tragically, and the princess went into mourning for almost two years. Then my-er, the new queen, came to the thrown, and the princess refused to accept her rule, because the queen had given birth to a son who was not of noble blood. Eventually she came around, apparently, but she won't marry herself unless he's a great warrior of a prince."  
  
Miroku nodded, "She reminds me of a princess from my land. She wouldn't marry unless the man managed to find four golden sheep. And when he did, she ate them, and made clothes out of their wool, and insisted that they'd never existed in the first place. And each time he'd find more sheep, she'd eat them, and make clothes from the wool, and hide them in her lady-in-waiting's room. Eventually, she grew so fat that she had to have all the clothes re-sewn to fit her, and the wool was so shiny that it blinded the poor man. Lucky him, I say."  
  
Inu-Yasha's eyes bugged out a little at Miroku's story.  
  
"You gotta be making that up."  
  
"No no! It's all true, I swear. Oh, and then there was this other princess who married a frog-" 


	3. Chapter Two: Fair Ladies

"And after that nasty cat left, that was the last princess of our lands," Miroku finished, as they head into the city's gates.  
  
Inu-Yasha had been shaking his head the whole time. He could see a princess who wanted to have a pure pink horse, but really? Five-headed goats? He made a mental note to himself that Miroku liked to tell tall tales.  
  
They were on the edge of the markets when he felt it. A sting of energy coursed through his spine and caused him to go rigid. He had never, ever felt miko energy that powerful. Mikos were practically extinct anyway, quickly being replaced by the kisai. The few mikos that did exist in this day had only the remnants of a dying power running through their blood. But he was sure that this was more than just an ordinary miko. But by time the stiffness in his back had left, he was sure that she was gone.  
  
He turned to Miroku, to ask about what happened, but he found the monk to be no where around. A quick sniff told him that the monk had moved to the more Northern part of the city. Trying to follow the scent with instinctually getting down on all fours and tracking it, his nose led him right into the middle of a large group of girls, who were being groped and shamelessly flirted with.  
  
Inu-Yasha made another note: the monk was a lech.  
  
"Miroku, I thought you were going to enter yourself in the tourney?" he called out through the girlish giggles and marriage proposals.  
  
"I am Inu-Yasha. I just have business to attend to."  
  
"Suuuure."  
  
"Yes, these are very serious matters."  
  
"Of course," Inu-Yasha replied sarcastically.  
  
"Would you like to join in on our conversation?" Miroku asked amiably.  
  
"I'd rather not. They look like the sort that would eat you alive." Inu-Yasha said dryly.  
  
Miroku grinned, "I could only hope."  
  
"So, which of you ladies would like to bear my child?"  
  
The group of girls started giggling madly, and a few of the bolder ones inched even closer to Miroku than they already were-which was almost impossible from where Inu-Yasha was standing.  
  
Inu-Yasha shook his head, and grabbed Miroku by his earrings, and led him towards the Registry.  
  
"Aww, what'd you do that for? I was about to get a wife."  
  
Inu-Yasha snorted, and said, "First off, those aren't even women."  
  
Miroku shuddered and looked ill.  
  
"They're not men, but they're not women. They're those bird people who eat their mates alive after sex. I tried to warn you back there, but you had to go and encourage them. Second off, you're what, 16? What do you need a kid for yet? You're a monk. That's an odd thing to want."  
  
Miroku glared at the hanyou, who still hadn't let go of his earrings, and told him, "First off, I'm twenty-one. Second off, remember the curse I told you about? I need a child to remove it."  
  
Inu-Yasha blinked at that explanation, and responded, "I thought you said you were going to see a kisai for that."  
  
Miroku nodded, "I am. The curse will only be lifted if I have a child with this particular woman. I need a kisai to tell me who that woman is."  
  
"That's a weird kind of curse."  
  
"It was placed on my family fifty years ago. My grandfather was a bit of a lech. He used the wrong woman though, and her husband got so angry, he cursed him, so that he'd try to find his true love instead of using all the women he could find. Of course, it sort of did the opposite, and as he tried to find the right girl, he ended up sleeping with twice as many women as before. That's one of the reasons I want to fight in the tourney. The grandson of the man who cursed us is one of the criminals."  
  
Inu-Yasha let go of Miroku's ear and stared at him incredulously.  
  
"I am never moving to your town."  
  
Miroku chuckled, and looked at the large building that Inu-Yasha had dragged him to.  
  
"What is this?" he asked.  
  
"It's the Registry. You do want to enter the competition don't you?"  
  
"Of course!" Miroku said, puffing his chest out, much as Inu-Yasha had done earlier, and beat his fist against it.  
  
"I am manly! Manly men fight! GARR!"  
  
His companion rolled his eyes, and gave him a light shove.  
  
"Haha, very funny."  
  
Miroku grinned, "It is, isn't it? I rather thought so. It's almost like the time that we had this evil monkey . . . or was it a baboon . . . well, he came to our town and tried to buy all of our goods with these pieces of glass."  
  
"I know you're lying about that one. Baboons. Hmph." 


	4. Chapter Three: The Registry

"Hello," a friendly voice greeting them behind the main desk, "welcome to the Registry. I am Maeara, and which events are you interested in entering today?"  
  
Inu-Yasha answered, "We're both going to be registering for the upcoming tourney at the castle's arena."  
  
She nodded and pulled out a long scroll, and handed them a pot of ink and a quill.  
  
"Just add your given name, house name, and your origin on the list please."  
  
They each gave the requested information, and the woman smiled and waved them into the back room, where they were greeted by another woman, who pointed them to the seats.  
  
"So, you're entering the tourney?"  
  
"Yes," they answered in unison.  
  
"And you've given your information?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Then welcome to the Information Room. I'll be going over the basic tourney information, and I'll answer any specific questions toward the end, mmkay? Mmmkay!" she smiled widely, scaring Inu-Yasha a bit, but making Miroku smile in return.  
  
"The official tourneys all hold the same rules, which are as follows: First, you may bring your own weapons, but you cannot use any type of gun or cannon. Knives, longbows, daggers, broadswords, all of these are allowed. Secondly, if you do not have a weapon to call your own, the Registry's weapon room will be leasing out weapons on the first day of tourney, but it is on a first come first serve basis. If you happen to be an 'enhanced human specimen' such as a demon, hanyou, kisai, et cetera, you are allowed to use any physical strengths to your advantage, however, mind control and other nonphysical attacks are not allowed."  
  
She paused, and looked to the two boys, "Are you with me so far?"  
  
They nodded, and she continued.  
  
"Now, in this type of tourney, which is of course, criminal combat, we have added an extra rule. There is no killing your participants, only the criminals. We expect no fighting between participants to occur, unless it is over a badge. Which brings me to how this tourney is working."  
  
She shuffled through some parchment on her desk, and held one up to the light.  
  
"This tourney is a criminal combat tourney, meaning that you will be battling against the criminals of our city, that have already been apprehended. As you may or may not already know, this is our system for disposing of excess criminals in an amusing, entertaining, and awarding way. Each criminal will be pinned with a badge, spelled by our most powerful kisai. Once you kill the criminal, the heartbeat keeping the badge in place will remove, and you may claim it. At the end of the first day, all badges will be counted, the results will be tallied, and returned to the guards at the gate."  
  
She stopped here to pick up another paper, and she began to read that aloud too, "The first part of the tourney will end on the first day, and the second half will continue a week later to let any casualties to heal, so that no one person will have the advantage. If you are not present for the first day, to continue on to the next day you need to receive a special pass from the Registry, and it will be up to our approval as to whether or not you will be allowed the pass. That's about it, so, are there any questions?"  
  
Miroku nodded, and asked, "Well, if I may speak to you alone for a minute," he paused and took note of Inu-Yasha's disgusted looks, before saying, "to discuss important matters of the tourney, I do have a very important question."  
  
She nodded and Inu-Yasha got up and left the room with a grunt. His ear twitched a bit, and he decided not to remind them that he could easily hear them from anywhere in the Registry.  
  
He leaned casually against the wall, and took in the conversation.  
  
"What is your question sir?"  
  
"Well, you said that 'enhanced human specimens' are allowed to use their natural advantages. Does this mean that if you've been cursed, such as I have, that you can use that also?"  
  
"Well, what is your curse sir?"  
  
"It's a family curse. I have what is called a tamaana in my right hand. It acts in a sucking motion, drawing out the life force of anyone I let it loose on. I don't want to use it too much to my advantage, because the more I use it, the more it uses me. But, should I need to use it, I would like to know I have the option."  
  
"Hmm, well, I'll bring this matter up to the Registry's Board. What is your name?"  
  
"I am Miroku, of Kirei-Chui," he answered.  
  
"Well then Miroku, when you come to the tourney, and enter, I'll have a note placed by your name with the Board's answer. Just in case, you may want to have a back-up weapon."  
  
"That brings me to my next question. I am a monk, which means I have been gifted with certain abilities. Would these, being as some are physical things, be allowed?"  
  
She nodded, "Yes, those are allowed. You may also use ofudas, but we prefer that if you do use them, to take them back when you're done. Sometimes we can't get near the people to clear their bodies off the field."  
  
Outside, Inu-Yasha was a bit surprised. When Miroku had informed him of the curse, he did not mention that he was a life-sucking machine. Interesting. However, what his ears picked up next caused him to roll his eyes and return to drag the monk to the Weapon Registry room.  
  
"You have been such a help to me, my lady. Will you do me the honor of bearing my child?"  
  
Miroku suddenly felt himself being dragged away from the very shocked Registrar.  
  
"Come on," Inu-Yasha growled, "let's go register our weapon choices."  
  
The sulking monk nodded, and they went to the next room. 


	5. Chapter Four: Begin Battle!

They had registered their weapon choices two days before (Miroku choosing his shakujou and a katana, while Inu-Yasha claimed that he only needed his fists, but he registered his sword anyway) and now the day had arrived that they prepare to do battle. 

Inu-Yasha had spent the two days hyping himself up for a really good fight, while Miroku had meditated on what would happen. His mind kept going until after the battle, and he couldn't help but wonder, if the battle really mattered at all for his own outcome. 

And now, they were walking towards the castle's battle arena, where they would help purge the city of its criminals and make some pocket money, and maybe earn a name for themselves. Miroku was analyzing the other contestants on their way, and Inu-Yasha was trying to contain all the energy and fighting spirit he had. Miroku knew that most of them would fight their battle in the same way that they approached it. 

Inu-Yasha would surely start kicking ass as soon as he got there, he was sure. As for himself . . . he would fight just as hard, but he wouldn't be as aggressive in his approach. They were both talented fighters, with their own strengths and talents, and they'd both won several battles of their own, he could tell. So who would win this one? He was only thankful that he wouldn't have to go head to head with the hanyou. He was sure he may not be able to win that one, without resorting to his tamaana, and he didn't want to do that. Miroku wasn't sure, but he thought he could feel the beginnings of a friendship stirring between them, and he certainly wasn't about to get that started off by sucking out Inu-Yasha's soul. 

In no time, they had approached the arena, where they were to check in. Inu-Yasha didn't bother approaching the line, but merely walked by the window, and shot his middle finger up to the sign in clerk, who rolled her eyes and marked down his attendance. 

Miroku, not having such familiarity with the clerks, had to stand in the line, and wait his turn. Which he didn't mind really. It appeared there were many females competing in this tourney. Quite a bit of them had really cute behinds-er . . . faces, that is. 

A particular one caught Miroku's eye, not because of her looks as much as the extremely large boomerang she had slung over her shoulder. He slithered up to her, his lecherous grin on full, and tapped her free shoulder. 

She swung around, and red eyes gleamed back at him. 

"Yes?" she asked, sounding extremely bored. 

"Er . . . I was just wondering Miss . . . " 

"Kirara." 

"Miss Kirara, what your weapon is?" 

"What does it look like?" 

"A giant boomerang . . . " 

"There you go." 

"Well, does it have a particular name?" 

"It's called a Hiraikotsu." 

"Oh, is that what those things looks like?" 

"Apparently." 

"It's just, I thought only nobles were allowed to carry them." 

"I am a noble." She responded, still sounding tired, but interested in the man's lack of knowledge concerning her identity. 

"Oh! I didn't know nobles participated in this sort of thing." He answered honestly. 

"I do." She said, before turning back around, slapping his face lightly with her blonde hair. 

He eyed the black ribbons tied in her braids, considering tugging them right out, but thought better of it, and sighed dramatically, waiting for his turn to reach the front. 

Meanwhile, Inu-Yasha was seated in the shadows of the lower arena, watching as the criminals were brought out. He chuckled; he would win this thing without any problems. 

"What are you laughing at?" 

Well. Looks like there's a problem. 

Inu-Yasha swung his head back, and found himself being stared down by a wolf demon. 

"I'm laughing at the lack of competition and the poor excuses for opponents." 

"Oh, I'll be your competition," he answered, blue eyes glaring, "_hanyou_." 

Inu-Yasha's ears twitched violently, the only indicator of how that comment affected him. Before he could utter a 'witty' retort, the demon had moved away in a trail of dust, for no reason other than to boast his immense speed. Inu-Yasha glared at the now empty space, before turning back to face the arena. Instead of seeing the crowd however, he saw the purple of Miroku's hakama. 

"Yes? What, are we friends now?" Inu-Yasha asked bitterly. 

"Why, I'm so glad you asked Inu-Yasha! I'd be honoured to be your friend!" 

Inu-Yasha rolled his eyes, but on this inside he was reeling. He'd never had a friend before. Sure, he had Myouga, but that old man was more of an aide than a friend. A friend . . . 

The trumpets blared, and all of the contestants lined up across from the criminals. On the final note, the chains that bound the criminals released, and the battle started. 

Miroku killed two with one blow, while Inu-Yasha slashed through about five in a row, gathering their badges quicker than lightening. The killing continued as more and more criminals were being released from the undercells. The kisai who maintained the scoreboards kept the top three competitors' names up. A quick glance told Miroku that he, Inu-Yasha, and another named Kouga were in the top three. 

Miroku landed a punch in an elderly man's ribs, and whacked him upside the head with his shakujou, while keeping his eye on the criminals around him. They had no weapons, but that didn't mean they weren't trying to fight back. 

It went on like this for a while, Inu-Yasha and Miroku changing places on 1st and 2nd on the scoreboard, with the faceless Kouga remaining at third. Until suddenly Kouga rose to number one, and no matter how many badges Miroku and Inu-Yasha gathered, they weren't topping him. Inu-Yasha growled from deep within his throat, and began killing on double time, trying to catch up to the wolf demon. 

Noting that he wasn't having any luck, and that Kouga almost seemed to be moving at a leisurely pace, Inu-Yasha grew suspicious. He glanced over at Miroku, trying to convey his thoughts with his eyes. Miroku didn't quite get the message, but to his credit, he figured that the wolf demon who was smirking at Inu-Yasha, and being glared at in return was probably Kouga. 

Knowing he couldn't outright attack Kouga without being disqualified, he thought quickly, and threw an ofuda on the man that Kouga was about to slay. Upon touching the man, Kouga cried out, and the concentration he had been maintaining to fool the kisai was broken, and Miroku watched as the standings came out as they should be, with Inu-Yasha in first, himself in second, and the feisty girl he'd met earlier, Kirara, in third. 

'_Well_,' Miroku thought, '_there went the fist major block in the road. I guess it'd be too much to ask that the rest be as easy to bring down as that one._' 

He picked up the ofuda, and the badge, and sighed, as he sent his fist into a random criminal's face. It was going to be a long day. 


	6. Chapter Five: Distracted

He had barely worked up a sweat on his brow, and he was dominating the standings along side Inu-Yasha. The two of them were working their way from the outer edges of the arena to the middle, where they'd meet each other, and Miroku planned to use his tamaana.

  


The fighting continued, Miroku almost forgetting he had brought along his sword, and Inu-Yasha never even unsheathing his. The men went down easily, and it was just a matter of staying ahead of everyone else. More than once Miroku had found himself slipping to Kirara for second, and he'd have to start kicking ass twice as hard to regain the spot.

  


Miroku stomped his sandaled foot onto a fallen man's head, and grabbed the badge that dislodged itself. Grinning happily, he continued on his killing spree, contemplating humming a little song to scare the others away from him. He recalled a tale from his village of a man who once used song to throw his enemy off . . . how did the words go?

  


"Total slaughter! Total slaughter! I won't leave a single man alive! La de da de dai, Genocide! La de da de duh, an ocean of blood! Let's begin the KILLING TIME!"

  


Miroku had successfully weirded out those around him, and had killed about five men in his eagerness. Like a giddy schoolboy he gathered the badges up and moved onto his next victim.

  


With a swift kick in one direction, and slash with his katana in the other, Miroku found himself the proud owner of two more badges, and he snickered to himself. He liked this city. It was an easy way to get some quick money. It was only a shame that they only held the contest once a year, or he found that he could be a very rich man if he stayed in this city.

  


The men were near starved and tired, and so some of them could be defeated with a mere pat on the back. Miroku knew, despite not being from this city, that the purpose of the tourney wasn't to have worthy opponents to defeat though, but as the registrar herself told him, it was the city's 'system for disposing of excess criminals in an amusing, entertaining, and awarding way.'

  


He really didn't have a problem with that, he thought, as he took down another man.

  


Inu-Yasha, too, was holding his own, happily remaining in first place now, and content to win the tourney. With a grin, he slashed his claws through several men's heads, and practically bounced from corpse to corpse as he collected his prize: the badges. With those, he was secured the three thousand shell first prize, and the fame that came along with being a winning warrior from the tourney.

  


Things were going great.

  


Of course, in battle, things can never really be going great, and this was proved as Miroku looked up into the audience for a brief moment, and his eyes caught the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen in his life. And a man of his lechery had seen many.

  


Taking advantage of the distraction, several of the criminals ambushed him with a fallen man's armor, and knocked him out cold.

  


The sight caused Inu-Yasha's attention to momentarily lapse, and his head was victimized by a fist. Now thoroughly pissed off, Inu-Yasha landed a punch against his attacker and made sure it was hard enough to kill the already weak man. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Miroku being carried to the hospice tents, and he unconsciously let out a sigh of relief. Miroku would be okay.

  


Now assured of his new friend's safety, Inu-Yasha devoted himself to killing as many people as he could. He found that if he extended his arms out and ran forward, several people's throats would be caught against his claws and die. 

  


It was really quite fun.

  


He took pleasure in the death of a few more men, before he paused, and started working on the group of bandits to his right.

  


"Here kitty kitty kitty kitty!" he said, with a malicious glint in his eye as he killed them one by one.

  


And so it went until criminals suddenly were drawn back to the chains, and Inu-Yasha grabbed the last badge from the man he'd killed.

  


It was Halftime.

  


He made his way through the dead bodies, now being cleared by kisai and registrars, he found the hospice tent Miroku was in with little trouble.

  


Getting in the tent was a bit different. There was a long line of men outside, and Inu-Yasha had to scoff at the fact that not even three of them looked injured enough to want in. The whispers of a 'really hot nurse' confirmed his suspicions, and Inu-Yasha contemplated giving them a _reason_ to be standing in that line, but he held back, his claws flexing even still, liking the idea of more killing.

  


"Yeah, I think I'm gonna need mouth to mouth!"

  


"I sure hope she can cure me, if you know what I mean!"

  


"I hope I won't be the only one in that hospice bed."

  


"You haven't seen her?"

  


"She's gotta be a concubine on double duty or something."

  


"Yeah, maybe that means she's free for the taking!"

  


"I call first dibs!"

  


"Yeah right, every man for himself!"

  


"Well she's got really nice legs-"

  


"Big blue eyes!"

  


"The chest on that girl!"

  


Inu-Yasha snorted at the lecherous remarks coming from the men, and almost thought they rivaled Miroku's own perverted thoughts, but then thought better of it. Miroku, who may or may not have been conscious now, was in there. Hearing all these men, he couldn't help but wonder what Miroku's reaction had been (or would be, if he had yet to awake). 

  


He should have been thinking of his own.

When the line finally cleared, one of the more homely nurses shooing them away, Inu-Yasha managed to duck into the tent, and soon found himself in a familiar presence.

  


_No . . . it couldn't be, could it?_

  
  
  


Now now, I'm not REALLY evil...I mean, sure I gave you a really short chapter and then put a cliffhanger on it, but . . . no one is reading this anyway, except for the lovely Sprout (see below) so who cares, right?

  
  


To Sprout: You made Mimi cry! She was so upset, because she's been working hard on this story, and no one cares, and then you left that nice review. It wasn't fifty lines long or anything, but it affected me none the less, and I just want to thank _you_ for your kindness. Your reviews motivate me to keep going (even if others don't think I should), so really, I'm writing this story for you, so I hope you like it!

  


So, did anyone else catch the Trigun reference? Yes, Mimi is a very big Trigun fan, but moreover, she's a very big Wolfwood fan. The fact that Jeff "Malfoy Nimrod" Nimoy is the voice actor for him does kinda screw things up a bit, but that also kinda adds to the giant Digimon cast lurking over in the Trigun area. And, as you may or may not know I started out in Digimon fandom (I went from Digi-diva to Devilish Diva to Junbug all the way to Anatra in that section) and that's like, a huge bonus for me. :D


	7. Chapter Six: The Nurse

But it was her. The same girl he'd sensed earlier in the market had just appeared in front of him.

  


"Oh my!" she said, her voice and eyes dropping a notch.

  


Before the hanyou could give a smirk at what he thought was her appreciation, he found himself being dragged to one of the empty hospice beds. As he found himself flat on his back, he got a good look at the girl hovering over him.

  


This _had_ to be the nurse they'd been talking about.

  


Her face was just over his, but his eyes went straight to her chest. Feeling a bit guilty that he was acting like a normal male, he met her eyes and found that one of the men outside was right. They were blue, and they were big. But they were more of a blue-grey than a blue. If Inu-Yasha had been a poet, or maybe someone a bit more sensitive, he would have described them as the colour of the sky before a storm. But Inu-Yasha was neither of these things, and blue-grey suited him just fine.

  


"You're hurt really badly! Were you beating yourself up out there?" she asked.

  


Inu-Yasha glanced down to the numerous scratches on his chest, and blinked, wondering how they got there.

  


"Calm down woman. They're just scratches."

  


"They could get infected!"

  


"Hello! I'm a hanyou?"

  


She didn't hear him, as she was too busy trying to remove his haori to apply a salve to the 'wounds'.

  
  
  


Miroku's eyes opened slowly and he found himself face to face with the woman he'd seen earlier in the crowd. She was hovering over him, obviously waiting for him to awaken.

  


"Hi . . .can I help you?" he asked, still in a small daze.

  


"I just wanted to apologize. I didn't mean to startle you." she said, her voice soft, but strong.

  


"Well, your beauty cannot be helped, surely?" he asked playfully.

  


As if she was stung, she drew her overhood closer around her face, concealing it from all but him. Noting that she probably looked a little suspicious, she started to leave, but was cut off by Miroku's remark.

  


"Wait, princess!" he called out to her.

  


"How," she asked, stopping, and then turning back to him, "how did you know?"

  


Miroku grinned sheepishly, and replied, "Well, you're trying to cover yourself up, and you're gorgeous. Aside from that, you've got on some really expensive silk, and I can see the palace embroidery in the corner. I'm not from around here, but I recognize the seal."

  


"Oh. Well, I am the second eldest princess of this land, Sango." she bowed her head a bit, and he nodded.

  


"Sango-hime, then? Pleased to meet you. I am Miroku, of Kirei-Chui."

  


She smiled, and sat down next to his bed.

  


"So, what were you doing with your face uncovered, if I may ask?"

  


"I had snuck out of the castle. No one knows what I look like, after all. You're the first person since I was three to ever see my face."

  


"Well, why were you sneaking out of the castle? Or are you just a rebel like your sister?"

  


"Rin?" she asked, and he nodded again.

  


"Actually, I was curious to see the tourney today. I had heard one of our more vicious criminals would be there, and I wanted to see if he would be slain in the first round."

  


"Was he?"

  


"No, I fear not. His name is-"

  


She was cut off by the loud grunting coming from the corner. The pair turned their eyes to the source of the noise and they were welcomed with a very unusual sight.

  


One of the nurses had straddled Inu-Yasha, and the two of them seemed to be trying to take each other's clothes off.

  


"Are they . . . trying to strip each other?" Sango asked in awe.

  


Miroku squinted a bit, and grinned lecherously, "She's either trying to take his clothes off or molest him, and he seems to be trying to stop her."

  


"Oh," Sango said simply, "I do hope this isn't a normal occurrence around here."

  
  
  


"Listen wench, I promise you, I'm not going to be hurt, unless you don't leave me alone, so you can quit worrying now, okay?"

  


"Worried? Who said I was worried? It's my duty as a nurse to make sure you're alright!"

  


"Well I'd be a helluva lot better if you weren't forcing yourself on me!" he screamed back.

  


This went on for a while until another girl timidly poked the nurse in the back.

  


"WHAT do you want Meiiri?" she asked the girl, with an irritated tone.

  


"Well Kagome, I just wanted to tell you that you're making a really big scene, and that your skirt has really ridden up," Meiiri pointed out.

  


She blushed like mad, and jumped off of Inu-Yasha, so that she could hike her skirt back down, much to the disappointment of the people behind her. Inu-Yasha sent a glare to the crude men heckling her to ride it back up, and one to the newly named nurse Kagome, before promptly falling back on the pillow of the cot.

  


"Why does this always happen to me?" Inu-Yasha asked no one in particular.

  
  
  


Miroku put his hands over his eyes and turned away from the scene.

  


"I can't believe I know him," Miroku remarked.

  


"Oh, are you two friends?" Sango inquired.

  


"You could say that," Miroku grinned, before leaning over and 'accidently' brushing his hand against the girl's rear. Suddenly, what felt like a large bone, was thwaked upon his head harshly.

  


"Do not touch the princess, lecher," a familiar voice said.

  


Miroku rubbed his pained head, and turned to see Kirara standing there, glaring down at him.

  


"My hand slipped!" he said defensively.

  


"From all the way over there? I doubt it," Kirara turned to the princess and smiled, "come Sango, we have to hurry. Koharu cannot stay in the quarters for too long before someone gets suspicious."

  


Sango nodded, covering herself back up in the overhood, but silently reminding herself to borrow one of Koharu's pairs of clothes next time she slipped out of the castle.

  


Miroku watched as the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen walked away from him and sighed.

  


"Why does this always happen to me?"

  
  
  


Alrighty then. I know I said post-battle chapters would be a lot longer, but I just can't add any more to this chapter. I'm working on an original story right now, but I promise I won't let it interfere with this story.

  


JANNEY: There ya go! Sango's here, along with Kagome!

  


Fell: Sarah, you're the evil one. Threatening me with peanut butter. SHAME ON YOU!

  


Sprout: You're too sweet! *blushes and lets her head get really inflated*

  


lindy*girl: Aw, thank you for reviewing all the chapters! I feel so loved!

  


manda: *hands you the story on a platter* Here ya go! :D

  


Zephor: It was rather evil, wasn't it? ^.~ Oh well, here ya go!

  


DayDreamer831: Yay! Now you know 2 out of the 3 princesses! Fair warning: It'll be a little while until you find out the third one. ^^;; Sorry!

  



	8. Chapter Seven: Healing

Inu-Yasha rubbed his ears as he heard another crash from the kitchen. It appeared that his hostess wasn't a great cook. With a sigh, he leaned against the side of her chimney, and listened to her half hearted curses, and the sound of Miroku's laughter from the inside.

  
  
  


After his wounds had fully healed, and Miroku was back to normal (he'd asked every nurse in the room to bear his child-save Kagome, for it seemed to Miroku that Inu-Yasha had staked his claim on her already), Kagome was smiling brightly at them, and Inu-Yasha wondered if all mikos were known for their mood swings.

  


"So, where will you two be staying?" She had asked politely.

  


"Oh, at an inn, or maybe with some kind village lady." Miroku had responded, shrugging.

  


"I'll just sleep in the forest," Inu-Yasha answered, mimicking Miroku's shrug, "that's the easiest thing to do."

  


Kagome's eyes had grown as wide as saucers, and she began shaking her head violently.

  


"No! Sleeping in the forest? My word, you really don't care what happens to you, do you? No, that simply won't do. You'll stay with me, I have two extra rooms since my brother and grandfather moved away, so Miroku, would you like to stay too?"

  


"Ah," Miroku said happily, "I've found my kind village woman!"

  


Kagome smiled brightly, and turned to Inu-Yasha with a very no-nonsense look in her eyes that strangely reminded him of his mother.

  


"Meiiri, I'm off now," Kagome said to the nurse from earlier, who nodded and handed Kagome her bag.

  


Kagome slung the pack over her shoulder, and grabbed each male by their hand, and led them out of the tent.

  
  
  


For the past day, he and Miroku had been staying with Kagome, and getting to know each other all a little better. He found that Miroku was allergic to bees, and Kagome was afraid of centipedes, and they learned that Inu-Yasha didn't trust them just yet.

  


Miroku seemed like a nice man, and Inu-Yasha didn't understand why he didn't seem to have any friends of his own. It seemed suspicious to the hanyou that someone with such a cheerful disposition wouldn't have his own comrades, but Miroku had made it clear that he was fairly alone in the world.

  


Kagome . . . Kagome reminded Inu-Yasha of his mother. She was kind, and beautiful, and even though she was quick to take him in, she'd leave him any day now. Probably just like his mother did, abandoning him for riches or security.

  


He gave a disgusted snort and hopped down off the roof when he heard Kagome saying dinner was ready. He could use some chow after what they'd gone through that day . . .

  
  
  


Kagome had been bathing in the stream aside her house, and having a little swim. Inu-Yasha had been hunting in the woods, and Miroku was in town, doing something-Kagome didn't especially want to know. She had broken the surface of the water with a big splash, her whole body rising out of it, just as she spotted Inu-Yasha siting on her roof with a dead rabbit hanging by his side.

  


"AAAHH!!!"

  


Needless to say, Kagome screamed, and at the sudden sound, Inu-Yasha fell off the roof and went crashing face first into the ground.

  


"Oops . .." Kagome said, taking pity on the guy, before remembering that he'd been spying on her as she bathed.

  


"Hey, why am I feeling sorry for a peeping tom?!"

  


Inu-Yasha brought his face out of the dirt and yelled, "I didn't even see anything-not that there's anything interesting to look at wench-and I just got back from getting you your stupid dinner! You should be thanking me!"

  


Kagome's form of thanks was a river rock to the half-breed's head.

  


She stomped into the house, and screamed, before running back out-still naked-and screaming again when Inu-Yasha looked at her. Before she could go back inside, where, Miroku, who had just gotten back, lay lurking, Inu-Yasha took off his haori and tossed it to the undressed girl, who quickly covered herself with it, and with what little dignity she had left, she went back to her own room.

  
  
  


After a dinner of rabbit stew that night, having seemingly been forgiven, he helped Kagome on her knitting, feeding her more yarn when she asked, and making small talk with her. She didn't learn much about him, save for things she had already suspected; he was a hanyou, he was homeless, and orphaned. So, she filled the time by talking about her life.

  


"Well, I've lived in this house since I was very little. My father died in the war, and Mama was with child. My little brother, Souta. So, she moved back here, with her father. Not long after that, I'm afraid, she died. It always made me feel sorry for Souta. I had more time with Mother than he did. In her dying days, she wouldn't talk to anyone but Souta. She'd always say how much he looked like Daddy. 

  


I can't remember my father, so whenever I think of him, I picture Souta, but older. My grandpa said that Mama has a picture of him in her things that one of the artists had done at one of the fairs, but I haven't been able to bring myself to look through the box.

  


It's silly, I guess," she said, sighing as memories from her past came back, "but I guess I'm just a coward."

  


Inu-Yasha remarked that she was pretty damn brave to take in a wild hanyou and a cursed lech of a monk. Kagome giggled, and looked down at hi, "Miroku may very well be perverted, and cursed, but I don't think you're that wild."

  


He shifted uncomfortably in his spot on the floor, and let more yarn lose when he saw the string becoming a bit taut.

  


"What about your grandfather, and brother? You said they moved out?" he asked, trying to take the attention away from her lack of fear for him.

  


"Oh yes. Grandpa decided he wanted to 'see the world!' and Souta got married. She's a really sweet girl. Her name is Hitomi, but Souta went through hell trying to court her," she smiled at the memory, "I remember it so well. They were still young, but Souta liked her-she'd just moved here from Ais'Ahi. She shot him down at first, but he liked her a lot, so he was persistent. It makes me feel like an old maid though. My little brother being married before me. Can you imagine?"

  


She sighed, slipping the yarn from one bone needle to another, and Inu-Yasha spoke, "Surely you can't be more than 20 though?" he asked, not knowing it was impolite to ask a girl for her age.

  


Kagome laughed it off, flattered that he was so far off from her actual years.

  


"I'm a bit older than that, actually. Souta is 20, and I'm 24. I'm going to die soon, and I haven't even had a decent suitor."

  


Inu-Yasha had to smirk at that one, "You've had indecent suitors?"

  


Kagome laughed again, and Inu-Yasha got the impression that she was really a pleasant person when she wasn't yelling at him, "Well, there was Hojo. He was a bit gullible though, and I never really liked him too much. Though, I was a bit jealous when another girl started fawning all over him, and he went for her instead. I got over it pretty quickly, but since then, there really hasn't been any other guy who's been interested in me."

  


Inu-Yasha looked at the girl, sitting pretty in her chair, and he couldn't help but wonder if all the other guys on the planet were blind. He wasn't about to go and mate with her any time soon, but it was fairly obvious even to the rather dense hanyou that Kagome was a beauty. In so many ways, she reminded him of his mother, but younger, and more trusting. His mother was wonderful, and loving, but she trusted no one.

  


Kagome hummed quietly to herself, and got a lot of work done on her blanket for that night. They stopped only when Inu-Yasha fed her more string, and found the girl had fallen asleep in her chair. Smirking at her, he gently set aside the knitting, and scooped her up, walking to where her bedroom was. He placed her on her bed, not bothering to change her clothes, and threw the quilt folded over the bottom of the bed over her. He gulped a bit when he saw how she looked as moonbeams spilled through the window and onto her face, but was able to make it out of her room without doing anything stupid.

  


Miroku snickered as he saw Inu-Yasha coming out of Kagome's room, but he knew better than to say anything so late at night, when Inu-Yasha was usually at his crankiest. The hanyou didn't even hear the snicker, which was unusual, but his mind was elsewhere. He didn't know much about his youkai self. It was all instinct, and no one ever really explained it to him. But he knew that feeling that he had been getting. His youkai senses recognized Kagome as mating material.

  


Miroku watched as Inu-Yasha stalked off, grumbling about things being, 'entirely too soon' and 'totally stupid wenches' as the hanyou made his way onto the roof to sulk. The monk shook his head and resumed his trip to the kitchen for leftovers of their stew.

  
  


Inu-Yasha sat on the roof well into the night, not needing to be bothered by sleep. He didn't trust the miko as far as he could throw her (never mind he could probably get her a good distance into the next three villages), especially since she'd obviously used some spell on him to make his youkai senses go haywire for her. He ignored the fact that mikos didn't do spells, and that this one didn't even seem to realize she _was_ a miko, and continued to gripe as the sun rose. In the distance, he smelled two men walking towards him. They smelled of the castle, he was sure of it.

  


He growled, and nearly fell off the roof when an unexpected voice came floating up from the ground level.

  


"Whacha doing up there?" Kagome had asked.

  


He growled down at her in response, before jumping off and landing next to her.

  


"I was trying to think, wench."

  


"Ah," she said, ignoring the insult and smiling at him, "planning battle tactics for when the fight continues?"

  


Inu-Yasha merely smirked and resumed his earlier proud pose, "I don't need plans. I can beat them with half a brain and nothing but my desire to win."

  


"As I have seen. I'd invest in half of a brain anyway, if I were you. You need it; that way you can follow through on your boasting." She winked at him, and he childishly stuck his tongue out at her.

  


Kagome smiled at him, but it didn't reach her eyes as she warned him, "Just, be careful Inu-Yasha. Some of them are powerful even with no weapons and being half starved."

  


She patted him on the head before going to the river to set the fish traps for lunch, trusting Miroku to finish the breakfast of bacon and eggs she'd prepared.

  


"Did you know that palace guards are on their way to your home?" Inu-Yasha asked her as she kneeled by the riverbank.

  


"They are?" she asked, pausing for a moment to turn back to him, "How can you tell?"

  


"I saw 'em in the distance, and smelt them. They'll be here before the sun sets."

  


"Ah. I wonder why they'd be coming here." she wondered aloud, not intending for Inu-Yasha to answer her, but he did so anyway.

  


"They've probably got word that I'm staying here."

  


"Are you an outlaw?" she asked, almost sounding amused.

  


"Not really, but they hate me just as much." he answered simply.

  


"Any particular reason?"

  


"Yes."

  


Kagome sighed, still too tired to bother with the stubborn demi-youkai, and walked past him, calling out over her shoulder as she went into her house.

  


"If you're wondering, I'm not going to tell them you're here. You can leave, if you want, but it'd be nice if you stayed."

  


Inu-Yasha wanted to believe her, but he knew what was offered if he was brought to the castle. Kagome was human, and she wouldn't be able to resist.

  
  
  


After they'd had an early dinner of more fish, the guards knocked on Kagome's door, as promised by Inu-Yasha, just before the sun set. Kagome rose from her chair, laying the book she was reading on a table, and swung her cottage door open, to reveal two rather dumpy looking men on her doorstep.

  


She welcomed them in, asking politely what the castle could want with her.

  


"You are Lady Higurashi, are you not?" the taller of the two asked, green eyes glancing down at the scroll he held to check if he was at the right place.

  


"Ay, I am. What is needed?"

  


"On Lord Sesshomaru's orders, we have been sent here to see if a 'disgusting and filthy hanyou' by the name of Inu-Yasha has been staying here."

  


Kagome shook her head, smiling in apology, "I'm sorry, but it is only I and a monk I'm housing now."

  


The shorter one spoke this time, his eyes not visible through the masses of blonde shaggy hair that seemed to surround his head, "Are you absolutely sure of that, woman? The prince is offering at least fifty-thousand shells to the person who turns him in."

  


"Ah, fifty-thousand?" she asked, a little bit awed at the number, and wondering why so much would be offered for him if he was not an outlaw.

  


Inu-Yasha, from where he sat on the roof just behind her chimney, smirked. Surely the woman would give in at _that-_

  


"Well, it makes me wish I had been housing him!" she said amiably, causing the guards to chuckle a bit.

  


Or maybe not.

  


"Well, if you do happen to see him, I can assure you that the prince may be so grateful, he may just add a little bonus to the reward," The taller of the two looked down at the scroll, reading the information at the side of her name, "like that miko's practitioner's licence grant you've been asking The Registry for, hmm?"

  


Inu-Yasha could barely make out the sharp intake of breath Kagome had made, but he heard it none-the-less. He frowned, knowing how hard it was to get any sort of practioner's licence from The Registry, especially for a miko, since a legal practicing miko could run the town's main resource-well-trained kisai-out of money.

  


He decided he wouldn't be too mad at her when she gave in.

  


"Well, I'll be sure to be in contact with the palace if I happen to spot him. What's he look like?"

  


She nodded as they gave her a description of the man on top of her house, and bade farewell to them as they walked out of the door. They'd no sooner walked into the forest surrounding Kagome's house when Inu-Yasha burst in threw the door.

  


"You didn't turn me in." he said, stating the obvious.

  


"Of course not," Kagome answered, sitting back into her chair with her book, "I said I wouldn't, did I not? We're friends now, right Inu-Yasha? Friends wouldn't turn friends in."

  


Inu-Yasha waved his hands about wildly, "But they offered you a licence to legally practice your miko skills. You'll never get one now."

  


Kagome sighed, peering over at him, "If that's how it's gotta be. Besides, how can I send you away, when I still need something from you?"

  


Inu-Yasha snorted. Of course. She was a human, and humans were greedy, "Listen woman, I've got barely anything aside from the clothes on my back so I can't give you whatever it is you want."

  


"On the contrary. I want an explanation."

  


"Explanation?" Inu-Yasha repeated, as if the word was foreign to him.

  


"Yes. Here, Inu-Yasha, sit." she said, gesturing the chair across from her that had been filled with knitting supplies. Warily, he sat them next to the wall and sat in front of her.

  


"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," she continued, "but I would like to know why a non-outlaw hanyou is staying in my house hiding from castle guards who are offering large sums of money for him."

  


Inu-Yasha regarded her, and sighed in defeat. He knew that he probably owed her that much, afterall.

  
  
  
  


Ah, I'm going to stop here. I know I made you guys wait a bit longer than usual, but that's due to the fact that I'm lazy. However, I have intentions of giving up on this fic, whether you like it or not. :P I'm sure it's a bit confusing, so lemme just tell you what's happened.

  


Inu-Yasha and Miroku have been with Kagome for about two days now. Miroku is just sort of there, and Inu-Yasha doesn't trust Kagome, though his instincts are telling him to. He obviously has some deep dark secret stopping him from this, and so he's ignoring it, until she shows her loyalty, as it were, to him by not turning him in.

  


Kagome is a nurse for their city, and she makes very little money. Fifty-thousand shells is a lot of money, and it's a lot more than she'll ever have at once in her lifetime. She wants to use her miko skills as a profession, however she can't do this legally without a licence, which our dear Sesshy has so kindly offered. Her saying no to the two things that could really help her out may not seem that big, but it is.

  


Also, Inu-Yasha is not an outlaw, because he's done nothing wrong. Therefore, the guards have no right to search her house, or hunt him down if he's not in the city. Inu-Yasha staying in the city means that they can track him down and bring him to the castle, but they can't legally harm him. 

  
  


Whee. If anyone is confused about something, I'd be glad to explain, (which is appropriate, seeing as the next chapter is titled "Explanations") so don't hesitate to ask me anything. It's interesting watching people guess over who the final princess is. I'm pretty sure the majority of you are going to be a bit surprised, not only at who the princess is, but who she's going to end up with. Though, one wonders if the princess is the one you should be so worried about, or if it is in fact, the _queen_. Oh, I've said too much, haven't I? ^.~


	9. Ch 8 & 9: Explanations and Runaway

He leaned back a bit, and looked at her, wondering how he should start. As if reading his mind, she asked for him to start at the beginning.

  


"Well, I guess it started before I was born . . . my mother was a princess, and she married a demon lord. Together, they had me, and I screwed up their life. The end." he said, knowing that it'd probably piss her off.

  


"Inu-Yasha," she said, sighing a little, "would it be too hard to give me the whole story?"

  


"I knew you'd say that. Fine. Well, my dad already had a son. He was still young though, only about fifty years or so."

  


"Only?" Kagome asked, amused.

  


"Well, he's a demon. That's only around four or so, you know. It varies from demon to demon. But, anyway, when they had me, my mother's people tried to kill us. So my dad took us away, but he was constantly getting attacked because of me too. He was very strong and he could take it . . . until one day, they'd caught him when he was already wounded, and sleeping. They didn't even give him a chance to fight back. My father, the great lord of the Western lands, murdered in his sleep.

  


So, after that, my mother and brother had no one to protect them. Sesshomaru could fight, but he still couldn't keep them all away. So, in order to keep themselves safe, they left me. I never saw them again, and I don't particularly care to either."

  


Kagome looked at him with sympathy, and a little confusion.

  


"What does that have to do with Prince Sesshomaru looking for you?'

  


Inu-Yasha snorted, and replied, "Sesshomaru is my half brother. That's what my mother left me for. To rule over this kingdom. In fact, the youngest of the princesses, Rin, is my half sister."

  


Kagome's eyes widened considerably, and she took a moment to absorb all the information.

  


"So, Sesshomaru's your half brother? And the queen is your mom? And your half brother and half sister are getting married?"

  


Inu-Yasha chuckled, "Well, yes, yes, and is that so? It's about time. Though, it's not like they're related or anything."

  


Kagome nodded as Inu-Yasha moved to get up, but reached out for him before he could leave.

  


"Inu-Yasha?"

  


"What bitch?"

  


She tightened her grip on his arm a little, but otherwise ignored him, "You didn't tell me why though."

  


"Why what?"

  


"Why you being born had anything to do with what happened to you?" she said, as if it was obvious.

  


"Duh," he responded in the same tone, "because I'm a hanyou. A half breed."

  


"But . . . no one cares about that anymore."

  


"Yeah, _anymore_. Before though, when I was born, you could be killed and hunted for having dirty blood."

  


"Dirty blood? That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard." Kagome huffed, as Inu-Yasha grinned at her.

  


"You 'an me both sister."

  


Kagome smiled, and tugged at Inu-Yasha's arms, causing him to sit in front of her.

  


"You've got pretty hair," she said to the back of his head, running her fingers through it.

  


"You're a random one aren't you?" he asked.

  


"Of course. But...Inu-Yasha?" she asked.

  


"What now?"

  


"Why is Sesshomaru looking for you? And why don't you just go back? Don't you think your mother misses you?"

  


"I don't know why he's after me, though, according to Myouga, Sesshomaru blames me for what happened too. And he wants to punish me for it. And, I can't just go back to my mom. It'd get her in trouble again. I've got to prove myself worthy to be her son," he answered, purring a bit as Kagome started to pet his ears.

  


"Well, I don't know Inu-Yasha. I think that she should prove herself worthy to be your mother. Being a hanyou, human, or full youkai doesn't matter. People should just accept you for who you are, not what you are . . . like I do."

  


She didn't hear his response though, for the young miko had fallen asleep in her chair.

  
  
  


Meanwhile, in Kagome's garden, Miroku sat watching as the sun finished setting. The brighter pinks and oranges had faded, leaving only a few streaks of golden hues and dark misty purples in the clouds. He smiled to himself, thinking about how peaceful it was, when he heard a rustle in the woods, seemingly heading towards him. On alert instantly, he went into the forest and was almost immediately crashed into by a small form, causing him to fall to the ground.

  


"Um, hello?" he asked, surprise etching his features when he saw who was lying on top of him, "Hey, it's you!"

  


The princess looked up and sighed in relief.

  


"Oh thank goodness! Do you know where you can hide me?" she asked quickly, looking around as she jumped to her feet.

  


"Hide you? What's wrong?"

  


"Kill me! They're trying to kill me. You've gotta help me I don't know where to go! And . . . Koharu! They're going to kill her when they see!"

  


"Woah, woah! Slow down! Here, come with me." he said, walking with the princess to side of Kagome house, where two chairs sat, perfect for a conversation.

  


"Kirara–my body guard, you met her right? Well, we were walking in the castle and we heard some of the guards and we heard them discussing a plot to kill me. It would have went over perfectly too, if I had not found out. So, Kirara helped me out of the castle, and Koharu, my lady-in-waiting, took my place, as she always does. And I ran."

  


"And you came to me? How sweet!" Miroku said, smiling at her, despite the very dark situation.

  


"No, I did not run to you, I didn't even know you were here. And why on Earth are you smiling?"

  


"Why, princess, you have no reason to worry! You have ran to the right person. I shall protect you from those who wish to cause you harm!"

  


"For the last time, I didn't run to you. And you may very well be a good fighter, but the best fighters are used for castle guards."

  


"Remember, I'm not from here. I may be stronger. Besides, I wouldn't need to fight. I have a secret weapon." He grinned widely, pumping his right fist in the air.

  


"This hand contains a curse called a tamaana. It sucks the life force out of people. Should someone try to harm you, I merely remove these prayer beads and poof. No more problem."

  


Sango looked at him in awe, not quite believing him, but not quite distrusting him. She did know however, that she felt safe. With a grin back at Miroku she shook his hand.

  


"Okay then. Miroku, you are no my new body guard. I hope you shall do your job with honor and respect."

  


He nodded, and they stood up.

  


"I'll ask Kagome-sama if she has enough room for you then."

  


Together, the two of them went back into Kagome's cottage.

  
  
  


I had to combined chapters eight and nine, so this is both Explanations and Runaway. It shouldn't be too hard to see where one stops and the other begins.

  


Now, I know it's short and not very well written, but alas, I have no beta reader, and I've gone through a lot of shit in the past few days. There won't be another chapter for a few days, as Mimiko is going to A-kon this Friday. If you're there, I'll be with a group of about five or six people. I'm not too hard to miss. I'm short, fat, and brunette. ^^ If you really want to talk to me, my picture is on my profile, so you'll know what I look like. :D Or, AIM me on 'unholy kazaana' or 'a girl gave up' (or msn, through rebroken@trust-me.com) and we can arrange a meeting place. XD I'd love to meet a fan or something (though, I don't know how many IY fans in Texas that read this are even going to A-kon...)

  


Also, about the whole relations deal...

  


Okay, I'll explain this: Sesshomaru isn't related to Inu-Yasha's mother at all. The oldest and second oldest princess are daughters of the first queen (Kaede) and king. Rin, however, is Inu-Yasha's Mom and the King's daughter. Therefore, she'd be related to the King, the Queen, and Inu-Yasha, but not the first queen, the first princess, or Sango. Sesshomaru is a prince, and soon to be king. I never really thought about who the king was. He doesn't really have a role in the story (in fact, he's not even -here- until the end. He's away on royal duties, and Sesshomaru is in charge of the kingom.)

  


Sooo~

  
  


Inu-Yasha's Father + Demon = Sesshomaru

King + Queen Kaede = First Princess, Second Princess Sango

Inu-Yasha's Mother + Inu-Yasha's Father = Inu-Yasha

Inu-Yasha's Mother + King = Rin


End file.
